The Cowboy Designed Motorcycle Carrier.....

.... is the motorcycle carrier I needed to carry Slick (my Yamaha V Star
Motorcycle) along on our yondering and RV Boondocking circles.

We
don't have a toy hauler trailer and didn't want one. It's a fairly safe
bet my 500 lb. V Star Yamaha wasn't gonna fit in the bed of the truck.
Not with the hitch sitting there in the middle. I don't need to say it
wasn't gonna hang out on the front end either! .... Do I?

I've
seen racks built to haul ATV's up on the roof of the cab ..... but let's
face it, I'm not running my V Star up there! We're already getting
awful close to looking like 21st century Okies as it is .... a canoe
rack is planned for the roof!

The only place that was left on our rig was the tail end of the Fiver.... Now, plenty of RVers have gone with a receiver hitch and
"pull double", putting their Bikes, ATVs, water craft or whatever on a
trailer. That can work, if you're set up to handle it, but there are
still problems.

First, quite a few states prohibit "pulling
double". For me, the ones that outlaw it are either states I want to go
to, or are smack in the way of getting to the states I do want to visit.
I suppose I could go around, but that don't shine for this guy.

Second,
have you ever tried to back a double? Just one more thing to have to
worry about .... "I can't pull into anywhere I might have to back up!"

And third, have you ever seen the double and triple semis going down the road in the wind? .... really
not my idea of yondering! Wiggling and wobbling all over the road
trying to stay in front of their trailiers .... and that witha rig that
weighs maybe 80,000 lbs. Mine is more like a 1/4 of that .... and the
wind never blows in the west right?

So eventually my hunt for a
way to transport my motorcycle got whittled down to figuring out how to
hang a motorcycle carrier on the tail of the Jayco.

Right here I
need to say, I may be pushing the envelope, a bit, on the cargo capacity
of the rig. Here's how I figure it. I tend to move camp with less water
in the fresh tank and the black/grey tanks empty. I figure I'm,to some
degree, trading those weights.

I'll watch things close and needs
be I'll replace with heavier axles if I start cooking bearings or the
like. As the Jayco has a double box beam frame both I and the welder
just can't see any weakness there.

As for brakes, I have a Jacobs
exhaust brake on the rig, and am already planning on changing to one of
the electric controlled, hydraulic disc brake systems, hopefully in the
next year.

Back to the custom motorcycle carrier I designed and contracted!

I
looked around at what's available on the open market. There are plenty
of motorcycle carrier versions that plug into a receiver hitch. They
seem to work well for smaller bikes, dirt bikes and such. My V Star, is a
650 and while it's not considered a "big" bike, by most bikers, (Big
bike being a 1300 or so) it still tips the scale at a mite over 500 lbs.
Something like 508 lbs.

Don't know about you but I can't lift it!

The
motorcycle carrier I was looking at is rated for 600 lbs. The fact that
all that weight is focused on one point (the receiver hitch) just made
me a little uneasy. It's not the weight itself, so much as the fact that
they tend to "flop" around in the receiver quite a bit. Over time, a 5
or 6 hundred pound scooter, flopping around, on a receiver hitch
mounted, motorcycle carrier can't be good!

There is at least one
motorcycle carrier manufacturer that has built a system to control the
"flop" so you may want to check into that. One I can think of is called
the "Joe Hauler" motorcycle carrier.

One other problem with them,
(receiver type motorcycle carrier) for me, is that my rig sits pretty
tall after having the axles flipped. The problem, that creates, is due
to how low slung my V Star is. With the "flat" track in a receiver type
motorcycle carrier, that is accessed by a detachable loading ramp, my
bike would high center at the "break over" point between the ramp and
the track. OK on a dirt bike. Just won't work with my cruiser.

Another
option is one of the electric or hydraulic operated motorcycle carrier
"lifts". The problem for me with theseis first they are expensive ....
more than I paid for my scooter! and second, they're heavy! Since I am
already dancing around the weight issue that won't work for me.

If
you have a bus conversion, or a solid motorhome with the available
weight capacity .... as well as a wallet that weighs more than mine,
they're a sweet and convenient system!

In the end, I decided to design my own motorcycle carrier and contract its fabrication with a local welder.

Of
course, being me, I managed to deliver the Rig to the welding shop
right in the middle of the coldest weather we've had around here in
several years, after nearly a month of almost constant snow .... so the
fabrication of this highly refined motorcycle carrier did not go off
without some minor delay. But that's life in the west!

The welder called just when I was starting to wonder "Was I going to get this motorcycle carrier built this month or not?"

He'd
gotten the carrier tacked in place and wanted me to do an inspection
before they burned it into permanent position. Figured, if I thought
something needed changing it would be easier that way. Sounded good to
me so off I went the next morning.

I was a mite apprehensive as I
pulled into the lot. Since it was my design, it was on me if it didn't
translate into reality very well.

No need for apprehension! I was
happy with it from the first look. The welder I had chosen, Distinctive
Welding, in Fort Collins, Colorado had been recommended by several
people. Most of their work involves architectural type welding.
Railings, stairways and the like. Their artistic ability, I thought,
would be a real benefit, and I was right.

If welding a motorcycle
carrier can be described as an art the guys at Distinctive Welding are
in that class. Little touches, like capping the existing frame tube
where the old bumper was removed were things that I didn't think of but
they did.

**** The Capped Frame Tube - With the new extension outside ****

The motorcycle carrier they built for me was extremely well done.
They took the drawing I provided, along with a couple of suggestions or
"ideas" as well as my request that if they saw a way to do something in
a "better" or stronger way, to do it! and produced an excellent carrier
for me.

With just one, single, possible, problem.

The only thing, at this point, where there may be an "issue" is the way I
designed the locking mechanism on the curb side of the motorcycle
carrier. There is potential interference between the bike and frame on
that side. We have already seen how that can be "fixed" quick and
relatively easy, should it prove to indeed be a difficulty. Again, this
was my design, and the welders aren't "bikers", so it's on me!

**** Locking Mechanism in the wrong place! ****

Truth is they (the welders) modified the actual latching mechanism
with significant improvement. The problem is my design put that
mechanism in, what may turn out to be, the wrong place. OOPS! We shall
see.

Hopefully, that's a crow I won't have to eat! ..... Do you
use Worcestershire or Teriyaki sauce on Crow? Got the rig home a few
days later and....

Man I hate the taste of feathers! I was right, I
was wrong!! The frame extension on the curb side of the motorcycle
carrier proved to be in the way. I couldn't get much more than the front
wheel up on the rack. The interference with the brake pedal, the foot
peg and the muffler on the right side of the bike was far too much to
allow me to just lean it over and go past.

So it was turn around and back to the welder.

Took
him another couple days to fit my project back into the schedule, but
they got it done, and done it well! I like the reworked frame extension
better than the first. It's really, simple and clean.

**** Here are a few pics of the full Motorcycle Carrier ****

Now it was time to load Slick ( My Yamaha V Star) for the first time. I
tried a time or two all by my lonesome, only to find out that, my
lonesome, wasn't up to the task! It took the help of my other half to
get the motorcycle pushed up on the track, where I could hold it there
with the front brake, while Heidi hooked the tie down straps in.

Since she will be going with me .... I guess it's OK to need a little help now and again .....

Took
a couple tries this first time, to find the technique and strap
location that would work. I expect it'll get fairly routine with a few
loading/unloading cycles.

Initially I planned on using the type of strap that goes on the grips
over the handlebars. This location proved to not have enough 'angle' to
give the stability I needed. My second try, I put some short nylon loops
on the forks just below the headlight. This turned out to be low
enough, and inboard enough to give a good enough angle to stabilize the
bike, side to side.

With the same type, winch style tie downs, on the rear end, the
motorcycle is solidly cinched in place. I also add rubber bungee straps
to tie the wheels to the track.

**** Bungee Cord to make sure the Motorcycle don't move! ****

The actual jacking was not a real big deal. There's a little excess
movement in the hinge pin on the road side pivot point which allows the
track to move back and forth a ways as you jack it up. All I have to do
is hold the jack stable with one hand, while I pump the jack handle with
the other. Not a big deal, and takes no great amount of effort.

Also,
the guide tabs on the bottom of the track extension, to keep the jack
from sliding on the track, are a little to close to the bike. I'll have
to get them moved out a few inches to eliminate any interference there.
Otherwise it worked just as I calculated it would. Not bad for Cowboy
engineering!

A couple fellas at the Yamaha dealer assured me all
those tie downs aren't necessary .... but I assured them I'm not going
to allow even the slightest chance of looking back in a mirror and
seeing sparks and pieces of motorcycle flying around! A few extra
minutes spent tying Slick down don't hurt my feelings one little bit.

Seeing
Slick scattered all over the highway, because it was inconvenient to
solidly secure the motorcycle to the rig, would be really uncomfortable,
not to mention embarrassing!

Having the motorcycle loaded that
first time revealed yet another unintended consequence .... inventing
sometimes takes a couple tries to get it right, I guess. The bike turned
out to be a mite bigger (longer) then I realized. The tail lights were
completely blocked.

Sure to cause trouble with Deputy Dawg. Don't
know about you, but I'd just as soon avoid getting crossways with them
fellers unnecessarily!

Back to town for some more parts! Picked
out some trailer tail lights and some extra bits to mount 'em and then
home for a couple hours of rigging and, DONE!

**** Motorcycle Carrier Tail lights added ****

I'm back to legal and safe. Like I said in the blog, another wiring job
with no sparks, no smoke, nuthin' but lights that work when and how
they're supposed to .... and not hidden by the motorcycle.

Like I said in my daily post, I plan for this to be a fairly
temporary wiring job. My intention, when I find a little extra time, is
to find a way to fish the wires out the bottom, inside the body and also
replace with a shrouded type wire for a cleaner look and better
protection. But for now, it is functional and unless I wreck the rig,
safe!

Only two little jobs left to do on the motorcycle carrier.
One is add some sort of traction to the track. When you undo the straps,
the bike slides down the smooth track with the front wheel locked.
(Once you pop it out of the tire holding cut out) I'd like just a little
more control than that! With some better traction, I might be able to
walk the bike up the track, under power, and be able to load it alone
.... we'll see.

The second is a final paint job, once I know the "evolutionary" modifications of this motorcycle carrier are complete.

For
now, it looks good, it rides well, and at a cost of $875 it's more
solid and about equal in cost to having a reciever hitch installed plus
the price of a reciever hitch motorcycle carrier. Maybe even a mite
less.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: After having used this setup
for a couple of years... and having the unpleasant experience of that
danged Ol' Handyman Jack collapsin' and lettin' the bike down a lil' too
quick a couple of times, I decided to redesign and rebuild the carrier.